28% cut in ESA payments

Hi Longman,

The article you have refered to on 'Parliamentary review into cuts to Employment and Support Allowance' is still visible here.

Take care,

Avi

Have you spoken to the Disability Advisor?

If not - at the next appointment you have with the Job Centre ask to be referred to them. You might get to see them the same day or it may be three or four months ahead, sometimes we have to wait.

I found it was them who understood enough.

actually I find the staff at local job centre sympathetic enough but then - they can afford to be - because they know full well they don't make the rules. Only carry out the rules.  But they tried to help when I needed their help and whilst they couldn't change the decision they told me how to make it work for me, ie I had to continue with the work programme scheme as couldn't override the work programme grouping but I could take anyone with me to the appointment and took along my Occupational Autism Worker to the following appointment and got taken off the computer job hunting route which was more than fruitless and was allowed to pursue the voluntary/education route. After all, anyone could perhaps turn up claiming they autistic couldn't they, but when you go along with someone off your team who can vouch you really are, I think taken more seriously. That don't mean they haven't completely written off the getting a job option as was reminded last time about the permitted work scheme.  I forgot a few appointments in my very early days and never been sanctioned or anything. I phone up as soon as I worked out I missed one usually first thing next day. I find job centre staff are understanding.  Just the law machines and government that appears to be not realising that it the employers who are saying no to us. Perhaps the govenment should be giving incentives to employers to accept us and realise within our limits we are good workers too.

Its going to happen I guess whether we like it or not.

I also think it is down to us collectively to work at any changes that we know full well would adversly affect us, whilst officiall NAS may not be able to take any official stance on any political changes affecting our welfare. There is nothing stopping us from campaigning ourselves for a better future, one with sustainable finanical means rather than always, always scraping the barrel when it the employers who don't want us rather than us not wanting to be wanted.

Various polictical mile stones such as women voters as an obvious example didn't happen by chance. People worked together and were willing to challenge.  Perhaps we need to re read our history and work out how to change to future for ourselves.

Oops didn't mean this to sound like a rally warcry of plea.  I get so annoyed when I hear those pensior who think that people on Pips etc get more than they do.  They are just thinking about financial more.  Sorry going off on one xxx

Unfortunately we are all victims of the Social Model of Disability. It is a very appealing idea - that were are less able in some respects, and this can be overcome by making adjustments. There is incredible loyalty to the social model, because the alternative - that we are each individually a problem to be solved - is unthinkable.

But in reality all the social model does is provide a few reasonable adjustments: a ramp for a wheelchair user, an auditory implant for the deaf, a compensating text writing device for dyslexia - oh and a hand held device for prompting people on the autistic spectrum.....well once they've managed one that works properly .....and is that all there is to autism?

The curious thing is the social model appeals to all political persuasions - you cannot just grumble at the conservatives because Labour are totally committed to the social model. The TUC have produced a disability guide that is 100% behind the idea.

And what the Social Model "boils down to" is, now we've designed you a tool, you are an equal to any able person. So you cannot be given any more advantages. It is all down to you now. Get your box of tricks and get working.

But if you don't you wont be helped any more. You'll be dumped on the scrap heap. It is George Orwell's  "1984" nightmare, just 30 years late in coming.

You've been offered reasonable adjustments. Now you are on a level playing field - stop moaning and get on with it.........

I guess the headline disappeared from "News from the NAS" because they've been told to shut up and get on with it.

Sorry, I don't mean to offend, or to scare........but there does seem to be a very fixed perspective that reasonable adjustments is the only response needed for disabilities. I just wish I could get this message across to NAS. The social model doesn't help people on the autistic spectrum.

I heard the intial annoucement on the news earlier this year and carefully tried to forget. It what prompted me to try for PIPS after all. I have nothing to loose by trying and my Autism team will help

I didn't know though it was for new claiments. 

But what the government don't understand is - or rather they don't seem to understand, it isn't that we don't want to. It that no one seems to want us.  I wish employers themselves would get together and state this to the govenment.  Then the goverment may listen. I am doing voluntary work but that wouldn't be good enough would it. People let me when they don't have to pay me. The minute pay comes into play then some reason never quite good enough. 

Looks like NAS is not going to explain what happened here.

Basixcally I read the latest "News from the NAS" headline on wednesday morning, looked at the text, and felt it was an issue that ought to be highlighted in the forum.

I then found that the headline and article had vanished subsequently to my posting. You can find the subject matter on the web, so it is not unique to NAS. But why has NAS so suddenly withdrawn it, and why leave me highlighting something that's no longer so readily accessed?

But curiously the story has disappeared from the News from the NAS list since this morning. Can we be told what is going on?